 A Message from Your PTSA Dear Families, While probably not unexpected, it was still hard to hear that schools will remain closed for the academic year. This is tough on everyone, so remember to offer support where you can, lean on friends when you need help, and know that you are probably doing much better than you think you are. We hope the resources in this newsletter will be helpful in some way - whether for academics, helping others, finding help, or fostering a sense of community. The PTSA will be holding this month's meeting via Zoom - on Monday, April 20th from 7pm-8:30pm. If you'd like to join in, please email co-president Shelley Prosise at sprosise@gmail.com and she will provide you the link. Please enjoy your "Spring Break" from school. Luckily, the weather has been on our side. Please read below for the latest - including information about this year's Eckstein yearbook! Stay safe and healthy, Wendy Sykes, Eckstein Annual Campaign co-chair Updates from Seattle Public Schools Schools Closed for Academic Year Please click here to read the latest letter from the district, with information about expectations for middle school students, technology needs, and special education. Summer School The district is currently working on a plan for more robust Summer School offerings. Grades and Credit Requirements The district is waiting for guidance on online class grading and credit requirements for graduation. The Washington State Board of Education will issue its recommendations after an April 8th board meeting. Academics For 8th Graders - High School and Beyond A Message From Ms. Duncan (condensed) Hello 8th Graders! Well...I guess, we will be communicating electronically for the rest of the school year now. I've created a folder on my Schoology page with a PowerPoint presentation and links to both Hale & Roosevelt's information. Please take a look and let me know if you have questions. I'm told that the high schools will be sending information to you in the next couple of weeks about how to register for your classes. In order to register, you will go through a link on the Source and you will select your classes for 9th grade. Don't stress as there really aren't that many choices to make. You only need to choose your electives. Two of the links I've included on my Schoology page are the course catalogs for Hale & Roosevelt so you can take a look at your options. Again - let me know if you have any questions. Take care and don't be shy about sending me messages if you have any questions. Ms. Duncan Free Tutoring for SPS K-8 Students Local high school and college students are offering free tutoring and support for Seattle Public Schools K-8 students! Click here. Online Learning Tips Curious about the safety of all the online learning going on? Here are some tips for parents and teachers. Stay In Touch, Eagles! Yearbook Distribution Delayed Due to the state-wide school closures, Eckstein will postpone the distribution of the 2020 yearbooks until the beginning of the 2020/21 school year in September. Staff is working on the best way to get the books to our current eighth grade students, who will be in high school next year. We will keep you posted! Eckstein Social Media Check out Eckstein's Instagram account (@InsideEckstein) for daily "Kindness Dares!" Receive Support Accessing Unemployment Benefits (this has been condensed from a message from State Senator David Frockt) The Employment Security Department has been receiving record numbers of new claims and experiencing extremely high numbers of calls and emails. Additionally, people have questions about the federal stimulus package, and the eligibility and available benefits. If you have questions, please do not call their toll-free numbers first. Instead, please visit their website at esd.wa.gov. There you can sign up for action alerts, see FAQ's for Workers and Businesses and use a checklist before applying for benefits. Again, please do not call their toll-free numbers for information - those need to be reserved for people who need help with claims. Instead, check the website. It has answers to most questions you may have. Because of unprecedented demand, many people have not yet been able to complete their application. Benefits will be paid from the time people were separated from their job or otherwise became eligible under the CARES Act, not from the time the application was submitted or approved. The CARES Act expands unemployment assistance to those not currently eligible, who have been impacted by COVID-19, and provides an additional $600 per week to all unemployment recipients through July 31, 2020. ESD is working hard to have its systems updated to reflect these changes by mid-April. The agency will then be able to make retroactive payments for both the weekly benefit amount owed as well as the additional $600 per week. Health Care In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Health Benefit Exchange is extending the special enrollment period for uninsured individuals by an additional 30 days. It will now continue through May 8, 2020. Please visit the Washington Health Benefit Exchange for more information. Resources From Your Eckstein Counselors. (This has been condensed from last week's newsletter) These are challenging and overwhelming times for all of us. Your school counselors are available if you want to check in, have questions, or are looking for resources. You and your student can access us through Schoology or via our email addresses below. Please don't hesitate to reach out if we can be of assistance. Take care & please let us know if we can help,
Student meal sites operate from 11am until 1pm, Monday through Friday. Eckstein Middle School is a distribution site. Please enter and exit through the cafeteria doors, at the courtyard area near the portables. There are 26 meal sites across the city, find them here. Meals are also being delivered by yellow bus, along normal bus routes, three hours after morning pick up (you can find a map of the Eckstein bus routes here). Weekend food bags are also available for families in need. More details about the food program can be found here. King County Postpones Property Tax Deadline King County extended the first-half 2020 property tax deadline to June 1. If you have questions, contact King County Treasury at propertytax.customerservice@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-2890. Government information and Resources During Pandemic The page is continuously updated to reflect developments and changes. http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/covid-19 Give Support Food Distribution Fundraiser Help provide food and supplies for those in need, including the elderly, unemployed, those with health issues and children who relied on school for meals. The WA Food Fund supports food banks and pantries across the state. Three Washington-based organizations – Food Lifeline, Northwest Harvest and Second Harvest – will use your donations to distribute food to hundreds of food banks across the state, in cities and rural communities alike. For more information and to donate, click here. Resources from the Library Ms. Sterling's Reading Suggestions Check out the 2019 end-of-the-year lists she put together! Sports Suggestions Sci-Fi Suggestions Romance Suggestions Realistic Fiction Tough Issues Suggestions Realistic Fiction Lighthearted Suggestions Nonfiction Suggestions Mystery Suggestions LGBTQ+ Suggestions Horror Suggestions Historical Fiction Suggestions Graphic Novel Suggestions Funny Suggestions Fantasy Suggestions Biography/Memoir Suggestions Author of Color Suggestions Adventure Suggestions Access to Seattle Public Library's Digital Resources
Free eBooks and audiobooks through Seattle Public Library – yes, students already have a digital library card! Libby is a free app through the Seattle Public Library and students already have a digital library card that they will never get fines on. Follow steps below, but the digital card # is 990000 followed by the 7-digit student ID # which can be found on The Source. Their pin is their birthdate without the year. All students in middle and high schools have one of these! This digital library card can also be used to access some other digital resources as well – see below! 
#WhereIRead Campaign
Find the perfect place to read, read a book, snap a photo or draw a picture, share on social media with “WhereIRead, and email picture to Ms. Sterling. We’ll post on the Eckstein Library Instagram! Follow Eckstein Library on Instagram @ecksteinlibrary for book reviews, articles, and more! Comments are closed.
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